By MILLICENT IFEANYICHUKWU

Mr Jamie Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, says the era of mass promotion of students in the state has ended.

Alli-Balogun warned that teachers caught extorting money from students to award marks to them will be dismissed.

He spoke on Monday while monitoring school resumption in the state.

He told principals, vice-principals and teachers that students not qualify for the next class must repeat.

?Those selling marks should be warned because any teacher caught doing that will be shown the way out,? he said.

He charged teachers to cooperate with the state government to achieve better learning outcomes.

He said that there was need for stakeholders to take more proactive roles which would enhance the quality of education and enable students to perform well in major examinations.

?The government cannot be investing so much in education and not getting value for the money.

?You are all employed to ensure that students have access to best teaching and learning processes.

?Ensure regular assessments, including weekly tests for students.

?More attention should be given to those who need extra support,? he added.

The commissioner enjoined teachers to approach the new term with a renewed zeal.

?I am going to be coming around regularly. The only way to assess your commitment is the performance of students.

The commissioner said that plans were underway to increase the number of technical colleges in the state to accommodate more students.

He said that the existing ones had been over-subscribed.

He encouraged teachers and other education stakeholders to take advantage of the Lagos State Health Scheme to take adequate care of their health.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that schools visited by the commissioner include Agidingbi junior and senior grammar schools and Government Technical College, Agidingbi. (NAN)

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